Moving to Cornwall- scared!

[hooliodancer]

We need a new life, my husband has been unemployed for over 3 years, I am self employed and it just all seems a bit of a slog.

We have been considering various places where we could go and be mortgage free- top contender was Greece (keeping a property in the UK to come back to) until we found Polperro!

We have found a great house with a potential holiday let. But I am terrified!

I love my current house to bits. But, it is too small. I don't particularly love my lifestyle.

We would be mortgage free. But. What would we actually do in Cornwall?!

I love the sea and the countryside. I could still do my current job a day a week- travelling to London. We would have a small income from a buy to let, so financially we would get by.

I am so confused. I hate the thought of selling my house, but love the idea of living in Cornwall. Any advice please? Thanks.

I envy you.

Good luck.

We toyed with moving to Devon last year as DH isn't in the best of health. However good schools and jobs are very hard to come by and there seemed to be generally less of everything. Our nearest town is a tourist trap and it drives me nuts when I just want to nip in and get something. I don't think I have the right temperament for the SW, I think you almost need to go into a retirement mindset.

Squidgey - your comments don't make sense!! Schools are great, 3 X grammar schools? Busy tourist towns + retirement? OP please consider that Cornwall is beautiful but it's economy is mainly tourism, therefore there will be a considerable number of months when it is quiet. Unemployment is high and you have to travel miles to get anywhere. Transport to London in the winter can be dodgy due to the constant lack of trains. Saying that it's a beautiful part of the country and if I could earn a decent wage and live there I would def go!

I don't think there were grammar schools where we looked but we'd have been looking at the comps anyway and they certainly weren't much cop. There's a world of difference between busy tourist town (hoardes of slow gawping folk getting in the way if you're in a rush) and useful local facilities. If you've got all the time in the world to mooch along that's fine but I can't be doing with that.

As your husband has been unemployed for so long, I am assuming you are moving from an area of poor employment opportunity; in which case Cornwall will be less of a shock with its low wages/seasonal jobs. If your husband wants to work again this could be a problem as there isnt much going and he could get dejected. Can you let your current house and rent in Cornwall for a while first to check it is for you?
Squidgy I moved to Devon as a working person not a retiree and whilst there are frustrations, with people dawdling along at 38mph on the A roads, everything else here makes up for it. There are good comp schools too (eg Woodroffe)

No, area of huge employment opportunity! I think it's his age sadly. It is very difficult.

The idea is to be mortgage free with a holiday let- which we have found.

It's such an opportunity to have a complete change of lifestyle, but I feel afraid of leaving where I live now.